The Opposition Naga People’s Front (NPF) in Nagaland said the present People’s Democratic Alliance (PDA) government in the State should give credit to the earlier government led by former Chief Minister TR Zeliang as and when it is due, and not hog the limelight on false pretenses.
The party made the statement following release of Rs 185.09 crore to the State by the Centre. The special sanction for 2017-18, first of its kind provided to Nagaland, was released for areas not included in Part 9 and Part 9(a) of the Constitution, the NPF said in a release on Monday.
It claimed that the previous NPF-led Democratic Alliance of Nagaland (DAN) government under the Chief Ministership of Zeliang managed to secure the amount from Niti Aayog and the Ministry of Finance, Government of India.
It said the sanction was made on November 8, 2017 through the initiative of the former Chief Secretary and the State Rural Development Department and the amount was to be released in February 2018. However, the NPF added, since the election model code of conduct came into effect, the matter had to be kept in abeyance till the State Assembly elections were over.
However, Chief Minister Neiphiu Rio is on a boasting-spree announcing that his government would distribute Village Development Board allocation on April 24, calling the day as ‘Communitisation Day’ and inviting all village development boards and village councils on the day to Kohima.
It said the fund was meant for clearing three years backlog of Rural Development Grant-in-Aid and Matching Cash Grant apart from schemes of communitized departments like School Education, Power, PHED and Home & Family Welfare.